open access

Vol 68, No 3 (2009)
Original article
Submitted: 2012-02-06
Published online: 2009-05-13
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The effect of fasting on the ultrastructure of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus in young rats

J. Kubasik-Juraniec, N. Knap
Folia Morphol 2009;68(3):113-118.

open access

Vol 68, No 3 (2009)
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Submitted: 2012-02-06
Published online: 2009-05-13

Abstract

In the present study, we described ultrastructural changes occurring in the neurons of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus after food deprivation. Young male Wistar rats (5 months old, n = 12) were divided into three groups. The animals in Group I were used as control (normally fed), and the rats in Groups II and III were fasted for 48 hours and 96 hours, respectively. In both treated groups, fasting caused rearrangement of the rough endoplasmic reticulum forming lamellar bodies and membranous whorls. The lamellar bodies were rather short in the controls, whereas in the fasting animals they became longer and were sometimes participating in the formation of membranous whorls composed of the concentric layers of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The whorls were often placed in the vicinity of a very well developed Golgi complex. Some Golgi complexes displayed an early stage of whorl formation. Moreover, an increased serum level of 8-isoprostanes, being a reliable marker of total oxidative stress in the body, was observed in both fasting groups of rats as compared to the control.

Abstract

In the present study, we described ultrastructural changes occurring in the neurons of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus after food deprivation. Young male Wistar rats (5 months old, n = 12) were divided into three groups. The animals in Group I were used as control (normally fed), and the rats in Groups II and III were fasted for 48 hours and 96 hours, respectively. In both treated groups, fasting caused rearrangement of the rough endoplasmic reticulum forming lamellar bodies and membranous whorls. The lamellar bodies were rather short in the controls, whereas in the fasting animals they became longer and were sometimes participating in the formation of membranous whorls composed of the concentric layers of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. The whorls were often placed in the vicinity of a very well developed Golgi complex. Some Golgi complexes displayed an early stage of whorl formation. Moreover, an increased serum level of 8-isoprostanes, being a reliable marker of total oxidative stress in the body, was observed in both fasting groups of rats as compared to the control.
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Keywords

arcuate nucleus; fasting; membranous whorls; isoprostanes

About this article
Title

The effect of fasting on the ultrastructure of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus in young rats

Journal

Folia Morphologica

Issue

Vol 68, No 3 (2009)

Article type

Original article

Pages

113-118

Published online

2009-05-13

Page views

497

Article views/downloads

1640

Bibliographic record

Folia Morphol 2009;68(3):113-118.

Keywords

arcuate nucleus
fasting
membranous whorls
isoprostanes

Authors

J. Kubasik-Juraniec
N. Knap

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